Winds of Change

by Catherine Canzani

You may have heard about the PRRP. You may know that it is a charitable organization run by a group of dedicated older ladies. You may even know that they accept all types of donations, recycle them, and re-sell them, all of their profits going to local organizations in need of help. Perhaps you’ve visited their quaint little workshop in Abercorn, which they’ve rented for the past decade or so.

But I bet you didn’t know about their latest endeavor… the OME, Oeuvre Marie Enfant. The letters sound fancy, but basically, this organization is all about being there for kids – our kids.

I was happily browsing at the PRRP one day when Jocelyne Meunier, one of the PRRP members, approached me. “Your children are invited to come to the PRRP next Saturday,” she told me. “We’re going to go upstairs to the workshop and the kids are going to make whatever they wish.” Whatever they wanted? That sounded great, since I always seem to be saying “no” to most of their requests. “It’s not a babysitting service,” she admonished me, “It’s to give the kids the opportunity to feel valued and listened to.” That sounded perfect to me.

The kids have been going on the first Saturday of every month since mid-winter. They’re always so excited about those Saturdays, and start planning their new creations at least two weeks ahead of time. I enjoy arriving early and watching this wonderful older woman, Jocelyne, share her wisdom, knowledge and energy with our local kids. “How do you afford this?” I asked her one week, since the children are never charged anything but go through supplies like an entire kindergarten class. “Oh, we rely on donations from the folks around us.” She informed me that most of the things they needed were donated by local families and even businesses.

There is however, a monkey-wrench in this wonderful program… The PRRP ladies have come to a crossroads. The building, which they have always rented, must now be sold. They have two choices – buy the building or close shop. They all agreed that closing shop was not an option, so these courageous women are setting out to buy the building, their only regret being that most of their donations will now have to go into the building until it is paid for.

Not only is their dedication to this organization amazing – they are touching our children in the most remarkable ways. My son came home from the monthly workshop with a soft blue pillow that he had made for me. The colors were chosen to match my room – and there were multi-colored beads sewn all around it. He told me, “If you look carefully, you can see the really tidy beads were sewn on by Jocelyne; I did all the messy ones. Don’t you love it?”

Yes, the letters PRRP and OME sound empty to most of us – but behind those letters is a group of ladies who are touching the lives of our children and our community. I’m glad they’re not planning on throwing in the towel just yet.

Jocelyne Meunier (PRRP/OME) can be contacted at 450 538-5222 if you would like to make a donation.